On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11th, a fight broke out inside Big Ed’s restaurant on Falls of Neuse Road. Witnesses have reported that the altercation began as a heated exchange between two parties at the restaurant, which quickly escalated. As the tensions rose, Alexander Barnes, a 23-year-old male, allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired three shots in the restaurant. Two people were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries related to the fight, and a third person, a Big Ed’s assistant manager, suffered a graze wound. The owner of Big Ed’s said that the employee is in good condition, but many are still in shock.
Authorities arrested Barnes and his stepfather, 51-year-old Jermaine Mitchell, who was in connection with the shooting. Barnes faces multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, discharging a firearm within city limits, and assault on three women. Mitchell was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly throwing a chair during the fight. In addition, Barnes’ mother, Adrienne Thorpe Barnes, was later arrested for allegedly assaulting two women and assisting her son in fleeing the scene. She was charged with two counts of simple assault and accessory after the fact.
The incident has sparked lots of concern among residents and regular diners at the restaurant. Many have expressed shock that violence would have erupted in a usually family-friendly environment. “I have been to Big Ed’s many times before and have never seen any kind of violence or hostility,” says senior Scarlett Allen. “I am surprised that this went down and am confused how this all started to begin with.” Many witnesses have described the scene as chaotic as there were many customers who were scrambling for safety as Barnes began shooting.
Big Ed’s was temporarily closed following the shooting but reopened on Wednesday, May 14th. The restaurant management issued a statement expressing gratitude to their customers and assuring them that safety measures were being reinforced. Sophomore Sarah Patchin says, “I definitely do feel a little more uncomfortable going to Big Ed’s now. I am hoping their security at the establishment gets better so that something like this doesn’t happen again.”
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. According to WRAL News, a prosecutor said that when a woman and her party were leaving the restaurant, they walked by Mitchell and Barnes’ table, and they exchanged words. It led to the fight breaking out and the prosecutor said Mitchell threw a chair before Barnes punched multiple women in the face and shot at them. Many witnesses have also claimed to have heard Barnes say “I’ll do it again” in the parking lot after fleeing the restaurant. However, his attorney, Alton Williams, comes to his defense saying “You have heard one side of the story, Barnes didn’t point the gun at anyone. If he did, someone would have gotten shot.”
As of now, the investigation is still ongoing. Surveillance footage and witness testimonies will allow police to determine what had happened leading up to the violence. The suspects have their court appearances on June 3rd, and many people in the Raleigh community hope that justice will be served.
